94598_01: Library procedures and techniques for library assistants

Topics Covered

Chapter 1: Introduction to Libraries and Library Services

• Introduction
• The history and development of libraries
• Legislation pertaining to libraries, library services and information
• The role and functions of the library and information service in the Community
• Creating a reading culture
• Strategy for creating a reading culture
• Different types of libraries
• Summary of Chapter 1

Chapter 2: The Circulation Function in a Library

• Introduction
• The philosophy of circulation
• Registration of library members
• Issuing and returning library material
• Circulation control systems 24 Selection of a circulation control system
• Automated circulation control systems
• Manual circulation control systems
• Returns, non-returns, late returns and lost library resources
• Membership administration
• Summary of Chapter 2

Chapter 3: The Reference Interview and Referral to Relevant Sources

• Introduction
• Basic reference interviewing
• Access, retrieve, analyse, and interpret information
• Problems with reference interviews
• Referring library members to other appropriate resources
• The internet as a source of information
• Effective database searching
• Summary of Chapter 3

Chapter 4: Sort, Shelve, Shift and do Shelf Reading of Library Material by Applying a Classification System

• Introduction
• Terminology of bookshelves
• Occupational health and safety
• Collections
• Library material and resources
• Information literacy
• Library systems
• Information management
• The basics of sorting books in a library
• Classification systems and their respective sub-classes
• Shelving
• Shifting
• Shelf-reading
• The importance of shelf reading and accurate sorting and Shelving
• Typing and formats of library material
• The library catalogue
• Bibliographic records
• Subject headings or terms
• Summary of Chapter 4

Chapter 5: Process and Maintain Library Material and Collections

• Introduction
• Acquisition of library materials
• The first step in the maintenance of library material
• The reasons for maintaining material and the risks of not properly maintaining it
• Shelving and re-shelving
• Keeping books and other material in order and maintaining cleanliness in the shelves and stack rooms
• Supervision of the collection
• The importance of the physical appearance, quality of library material and the images of LIS in the community as well as the experience of the library user
• The processing of new library material
• Methods for the maintenance and mending of current library material
• The maintenance of periodicals
• Maintenance of non-print material
• Stock verification
• Weeding
• Security of library material
• Summary of Chapter 5

Chapter 6: Introduce Library Services and Resources to Library Users

• Introduction
• Marketing tools
• The importance of library orientation and user education
• The effect and importance of information literacy, outreach programmes, displays in the centres, marketing and basic events
• Ethics and plagiarism
• Copyright Law
• Summary of Chapter 6

This course is part of the following qualifications that we offer:

1. Core 94598 - Occupational Certificate: Library Assistant Level 5, 127 Credits